I Haven't Lost My Way Home
by beautybeholderx
Summary: This story follows the tensions with 'Mark' and Scarlet's relationship in relation with Alex and Maggie, and everyone else. Not a one-shot, more chapters to come!


'_It's twelve o'clock at night; do you know where __your__ child is?'  
_Obviously in California parents all-around were wondering the same question, so many so Michael O'Donnell was being forced to listen to this horrid station, or another one discussing: _'You and your colon, what you may not know_.'

Apparently at 12:59 AM the good people of California thought that those who are prone to insomnia didn't deserve to listen to anything besides bodily functions and teens their parents couldn't control.

Though as he turned onto another street he sighed quietly glancing to all of the empty houses, where normal people were sleeping their way into the morning. On the other hand seeing as a rainstorm was on its way Mike was left to his insomnia, just like _aaaaany _other normal person.  
For ever since he could remember whenever a storm was on its way he couldn't sleep. Though before he was kicked out of his house, his family resented him, and he regretted everyday of his life – his beautiful soon to be ex-wife, Scarlet would make him herbal vanilla tea and sit out with him until she fell asleep … or the baby woke her up.

A baby whom had grown up day by day with her parents by her side, a choice Mike had made years ago in the fateful Hayden gymnasium. As he held her for the first time, watched her take her first steps – Mike knew deep down he was never going to regret the choice he made.  
Though one almost divorce, no job promotion and consequently no job later Michael found himself not regretting … but more-so wishing he was seventeen again, taking his life back.

He got the seventeen part from falling off a bridge into an abyss of … time-reversal on his body, however the 'taking his life back' was proving to be a little more than difficult. Parking in front of 'his house' Mike glanced over to see all the lights off, showing that they were obviously all asleep. Not that if he was there, in his thirty-seven year old body it would've been any difference.

Sighing he made his way up the driveway as he looked over to see Scarlet's brain storming emerging all over the backyard with bags of dirt strewn, lights spread, and his and Scarlet's work on the backyard clearly evident. Yes, the only way Mike could get close to his soon-to-be-ex-wife was by helping her with her backyard renovations he never _actually_ finished.

Scolding himself he quietly made his way through the disarray of objects sitting down on the edge of the deck. He supposed it wasn't a very good idea to be sitting there, considering Scarlet was having an already difficult time spending with him. Not that she hated spending time with him; he found she was trying to restrain herself – finding him to be 'too much like her ex-husband'. Mike didn't mind so much … though he was finding it difficult to act seventeen around her, and not, well … her husband.

Deciding against wallowing in his thoughts (Ned, his best friend and 'fake' father had advised him that self-pity will only dig his hole deeper) it was time to take a stroll around their work in progress backyard. Mike quietly made his rounds, hands in his pockets, and finding it harder to see any sort of semblance of a backyard through the chasm of garden utensils. Though no matter how it was going to turn out Mike was just happy to be spending time with his wife, and her simply enjoying herself.

It's not like he could resist her smile, now could he?

"M-Mark?"

Her voice, which Mike really wasn't expecting to hear at 1:30 AM threw him slightly off-guard … which resulted with him colliding with a rake, and wheelbarrow simultaneously. "Oh my goodness, Mark! Are you okay? I'm so sorry it's just … I usually don't find my son's friends wandering our backyard at 1:30 AM!"  
As much as he loved hearing her voice, Mike was finding it slightly irritating as he groaned from the pain in his stomach and right knee. "Oh dear, you're bleeding … on your nice clothes too! I'll be right back!"

The trembling in her voice Mike wasn't quite expecting. She hadn't even helped him up … not that he expected her too; Scarlet always reacted to injured people like this. Groaning still at the pain Mike forced himself to sit up, and limped his way to the deck (he could also hear Ned's taunting: '_See? I may be your fake father, but I know that going to your ex-wifes house at 1:30 AM is __not__ a good idea…_)' Groaning Mike pulled his knee up to his chest as he saw blood soaking through now.

"Mark? Here, I have some band-aids and disinfectant here …"  
Her voice was trembling again, as were her hands. But Mike simply nodded as he watched her closely. The way she was took him back a few years, when Alex was only three, and had fallen off of his bicycle.

Mike remembered he had been attempting to teach Alex the whole day how to ride, and he wasn't quite getting the hang of it. However a few hours later, by some miracle, Alex was speeding down the street screaming at the top of his lungs as Mike proudly watched his son ride off on his own. Before he could swell his chest any farther in pride, gravity caught hold of his son, and he was colliding with the ground, sending him in a fit of tears. A huge cut was across his knee – with blood dripping down his leg, showing obvious signs of injury. Being the loving father he was Mike attempting to consol his son, but before Alex was even in his arms he was bawling his way straight home. What had Mike done? However as Alex's chubby legs ran straight up to the front door he heard Alex's desperate cries for his mom.

Scarlet was there in seconds out the door tending to Alex, who had calmed down quite a fair bit when he saw his mothers face. She rocked him back and forth in her arms, gently whispering to her son, getting him to smile after a tragic event (as tragic as falling off a bicycle can be, at any rate). Mike had watched as she stroked his hair, and told him a story as she cleaned off his cut – taking away some of the pain. And here he was, getting the same treatment … only now, in his seventeen year old body.

"Okay, lift up your pant leg." Clearly she wasn't even thinking about what she was saying anymore. "and let me clean it out, it will only sting a little, no worries." Mike said nothing for a few moments as he held back his wince as she started cleaning.  
"You didn't have to do this Sca - … Mrs. O'Donnell, I'll be fine. You should get back to bed."

She was quiet for a few moments, as she was slowly calming down. He watched quietly, not daring to say a word as he saw a small point of her tongue creep out of the side of her mouth, deep in thought.  
"Why were you here Mark?"

"Um, well, I couldn't sleep. So I thought I'd go somewhere I knew was like – well, a second home to me and I thought I could just come here? I'm sorry, I shouldn't of, I know…"  
"Why couldn't you sleep?"

For a teenager pouring his heart at her at two o'clock AM she really wasn't paying much attention to the fact that he was _still_ at her house this late, or early, whichever is preferred. "There's a thunderstorm on the way. Whenever it's about to rain I always can't sleep the night before …"  
As he spoke the words hung in the air as Scarlet blinked, slowly lowering her hand from his knee as she grabbed a band aid from the box.

"It's something I've had my whole life, so it's not a condition or anything really …"  
"My husband - or ex-husband had the same condition. He always thought he was the only one who had it."

A silence followed as Mark quietly looked down at his feet as they shuffled into the dirt, making a small hole for them and to some extent – showed him the past few weeks spent here, that was exactly what he was doing to himself at Scarlet's house. As much as Michael hated silences for the most part, this one he was alright with between them, for he wouldn't have the chance to mess up his words and sound like a complete idiot (or in the words of Ned, a complete douche).

"All you need is a band aid and you'll be good as new, Mark."  
As she came to apply the bandage Mike watched her hands tremble like he had never seen, and when her skin touched his own – it was cold as stone, something Scarlet's hands never were …

**flashback.**__

"Looks like you two are going to have a very healthy little child!"

Despite her obvious forced enthusiasm Michael O'Donnell knew the smile on his face was real as he squeezed the hand of his soon to be wife. She was simply beaming as the two nodded to the technician.  
"Thank you, that's very good news." Scarlet breathed, Mike's thumb coming over to gently stroke her hand quietly.

"Yes well, we wouldn't want anything less for the _young__ couple."  
The two had learned to ignore the sarcasm and rude comments from the technicians; after all, this was their second ultra sound. They were pro's … well, in Mike's mind they were. As she left them alone they didn't even say a word, which was something he appreciated about Scarlet. She didn't need to talk all the time, especially in a thrilling moment like the one they just shared. Holding the picture in her hand Mike watched her eyes search it, with a little fear, but a smidge of enchantment as her fingertips ran over the page quietly._

He kissed her temple lightly as his hand went to find her own. However on contact Mike's brows furrowed.  
Her hands were cold, which was when something was really wrong. Her hands were almost always warm, something Mike could always count on … except for when they were cold was when something was truly bothering her.  
"Scar, what is it?"

There was a silence as she pushed her lips together – something she also did when she was holding back her tears. Dark eyes traced the page again as Scarlet didn't respond for a moment, quietly taking in the picture before her eyes.  
"I don't want … you to regret being here, with me, and our child."  
This topic hadn't come up with the two of them since that fateful day he proposed to her, while walking on his 'academic future' at the same time.

"Scar, c'mon now, we promised we weren't going to dwell on this. If I didn't want to be here I'd be at basketball practice right now, you know that."  
A small sigh came to his ears as she leaned back in the chair, with complete defeat. "Fine, fine. This is your future now, you know that?"

After a few moments she smiled quietly as Mike nodded in return. "Of course I know that."  
He brought his lips to her temple, taking her hand again, feeling the warmth slowly return to them.  
  
**end flashback.**

Not only was he a complete cornball, but apparently being a cornball was what kept them together. The not-so-unknown feeling of regret slowly crept up as Mike was taken out of his flashback and back into reality, where he saw Scarlet crying now with her head in her hands, the band-aid long forgotten on the ground.  
The tears stained her cheeks as Mike sat helplessly, his hands loosely hanging where they had collided. Her shoulders shook as he carefully, and very cautiously brought a hand to touch her shoulder in what he knew to be the only way he could comfort her in his present state.  
"Mrs. O'Donnell? I hope I didn't offend you – I can go if you'd like…"

Mike had a feeling it was a good idea to slowly leave as he carefully stood up; however he was surprised to find her small hands gripping his own.  
"No – no, don't go yet." There was a pause, as he knew she was feeling slightly odd asking Alex's friend to stay, "after Mike left, I've felt alone every night. It's good to have some – some company…"

Mike, not even able to handle the lump of guilt in his throat, slid down beside her. Her sobs continued as he brought a hand to gently stroke her back … almost wishing he could change back to his older body, to show her he really did care. That he didn't want to be the reason for the tears flowing down her cheeks, for the late nights she was spending alone … because of him.  
His fingertips played along her back, as her shoulders continued to shake. As he continued Scarlet gave into her loneliness and slowly started leaning into Mike, her head gently resting on her shoulders.

There was a small wet mark where her tears continued to fall, but Mike didn't look, because he was holding her. Even if she didn't know he was caring for her, like she so desperately wanted him to do the past few years.  
His lips gently collided with the top of her hair – planting a kiss of comfort quietly. Scarlet was slowly starting to calm down, her shoulders not shaking as much, and her quiet sobs not quite as frequent.  
"Thank you, Mark. I know this is weird because of your being friends with Alex but it does mean a lot."

He nodded, not really wanting to say a word, and ruin the moment. Apparently she felt the same, her head still against his shoulder, as his hands continued to rub her back gently.  
"Mrs. O'Donnell – Sc, Scarlet? There's something I want to tell you…"  
She said nothing, but she also didn't object as Mike took this as a good sign. So he continued: "Well it's about me, see I, I need to tell you the truth -"

"Mom?! Mark?! What are you two doing out here so early?!"  
Before he could continue however the two found themselves sitting before a very tired, and very confused looking Alex who wasn't quite expecting to his best friend Mark Gold embracing what appeared to be a very upset mother at 3:30 AM.

How was he going to get out of _this_ one?


End file.
